Honor Amongst Warriors
by DuskStarDragon
Summary: Honor is the only thing left for her. She has no other purpose. Never to taste death, but only has ever delivered it. Her life had always been planned out, but it was her honor that truly guided her. It was now in question. To live and die in bonds or die with honor as the warrior she was made to be. From three enemies she must earn her honor back. From three she must survive.
1. No One

**Honor Amongst Warriors**

 **Chapter One**

 **No One**

 _I used to be someone… used to be… still… when I was someone, I was also no one. I had to be. I had to be that face in the crowd. Someone seen, but not noticed. I had to move like everyone else, but every move being calculated. No missteps. I couldn't afford to. One mistake and I would truly be no one. Not missed. No one to miss me. That's the way it had to be. I don't really care if there was someone to morn my passing. We_ _all_ _pass at one point… just some of us get to choose how we pass._

 _I suppose that I have made that choice._

 _It's not the way I want to go… but I made my choice. As the old saying goes, "You've made your bed, now lie in it." Nothing could be a truer statement… especially in my_ _line of_ _work. The choices I made determine_ _d_ _who live_ _d_ _and who die_ _d_ _. Either they die at the end of my knife or others die from the chaos that would be released. I don't like chaos personally. That's why chose the career I did. To end lives that could potentially unravel society… dispose of morals and ethics that defines it._

 _I once preserved such things…_

 _But I am not bound by them…_

 _There is no place for morals or ethics where I come from. They only hinder my work. Strange how one must live outside what they admire most in order to protect it. Don't get me wrong… I do have principles… no… It's more of code… A code of honor. It's kept me alive and pushed me to places I didn't even know exist. Places within myself that I had to take a long look at. Both dark and light. I rely on the darkness to conceal my work, but I pray to whatever greater power that would hear me that I am a light in the darkness. My code… my honor is the light within me. I hold it close and hope that it will always guide me._

 _If I don't have my code, I have nothing…_

 _But I am nothing… now… I am no one…_

"Wakie-wakie," someone bumped the butt of their gun into her chest, "You still with us Angel?"

With a big yawn, she looked up, "I was having the loveliest soliloquy going on inside my mind. Truly a thing of beauty. I've become quite the poet since my incarceration. Perhaps you would like to hear some of them?" she gave the most pleasant of smiles.

"Perhaps you would like to hear the sound of my Pulse Rifle cracking your skull wide open," the soldier raised his gun.

She didn't even flinch at the empty threat. They couldn't do anything to her. They had to hold themselves back. Any unprovoked attack could send them to them to the same place she was going. Funny how things worked that way. The same people that were burying her deep in the middle of nowhere were protecting her as well. They didn't have a choice though. They had to follow orders. Even if they were from a dead man. He held weight over his former subordinates… the ones that held power now. Though they dare not disobey orders. Just as these soldiers wouldn't dare disobey their orders.

"Stop it Shultz!" his commanding officer ordered.

"Sorry Sgt. Collins," he backed down, "I was just making sure that our friend was still with us. Don't want this little deserter dying before we get to our destination," he placed the barrel of the rifle under her chin and raise her head.

"Private!" the Sergeant pulled the rifle away, "Keep that thing stowed until you need it," he barked, "And with those restraints on her, she ain't going nowhere," he looked to her, "You nice cozy Angel?"

She smirked, "As snug as a bug in a rug."

"See," the sergeant smiled as he went back to his seat, "Not going anywhere."

"Don't know about that," another officer entered, "With her rap sheet… surprised we ain't dead yet."

Shaking his head, Sgt. Collins snorted, "She hasn't done anything in three years. Just kept to herself. When there was a prison riot, she blockaded herself in the library with some of the prison workers. When offered to escape with several other inmates, she refused. Never once in a fight. Never once spoke out. Not a peep," he sighed, "She is considered a model prisoner."

"Then why is she being transported to a deep space prison colony if she's little miss perfect?" the officer didn't understand.

"Classified Jordan… classified," was the only thing he could say, "The big wigs back home want this little angel to be as far out of their sight as she can be. I don't ask questions and I advise that you don't either," he gave a little growl.

That was the end of it. No more questions or idol threats. Once the sergeant told them to drop it, they had to drop it. Again with the orders. Though he didn't actually order them, but it was implied. Didn't matter though. It just meant that the trip was going to be a little bit quieter. She could appreciate that. The quiet and solitude that life offered was precious. It needed to be savored whenever possible. A time to let the mind go free and dance along the edges of sanity and madness. She would often debate which was preferable in her current situation. Sanity would always win, but madness was never too far behind.

"So… why ain't we keeping her in hypersleep?" Shultz asked.

The peacefulness was gone.

"Because…," she cracked her neck side to side, "Your bosses want to give me a chance to escape, so you can then shoot me without the fear of consequence."

He looked to the sergeant, "Is that true?"

"Don't listen to her men," he growled, "She's nothing more than a traitor. She was a coward and couldn't perform her duties," he smirked, "Lost her spine. Now she's nothing more than a sad, pathetic excuse for a sack of skin and bones. She's a no one. Isn't that right Angel?"

She only smiled, "That would be correct sergeant."

He looked to the two officers, "Leave," he leaned forward, "I need to talk to our prisoner alone."

With a quick yes sir, they left the cargo hold and locked the door behind them. The sergeant stood up slowly and paced the floor, quiet in thought. He knew that he had careful with what he was about to say. It amused her. He knew what was going on. He knew what he was supposed to do. It was just the question on whether or not he could carry it out. She only needed to give him one reason to pull the trigger. Where he thought he was about to make a step of ahead, she was already miles in front of him.

"You probably have figured out that I know what's going on," he approached, "Which means you also know that I'm here to kill you," he came straight up into her face.

She gagged, "With your halitosis?"

"Funny…," he wasn't smiling, "Give me the excuse and I will put a bullet in the back of your head. That way, we can all go home and not have to trek out to the middle of nowhere hauling your traitorous ass. Come on," he held the keys up in front of her, "It would be so easy."

She closed her eyes and gave a little sigh, "Given the choice, I would rather sit it out. Your bosses were once mine. I know how they work. They are just buying time until the noose around their neck tightens to a point where breath won't enter their lungs. They're already struggling," she thought for a moment, "I think they use to call it dancing if the person's neck didn't break on the drop…," she shrugged her shoulders, "Not sure though."'

Sgt. Collins thought for a moment, "Maybe that's what I should do with you. An accident…"

She gave a little chuckle, "You won't. I don't have accidents. I make them. Now," she leaned back, "if you don't mind. I would like to catch some zzz's before we land."

He clinched his fist. She wasn't going to play his game. She had played it so many times before, but she was usually on the other side. It was useless to speak to her. He would have to bide his time and wait. It was going to be a test of wills. But she knew something that he didn't. Her patience was infinite and he was getting to the end of his.

Opening the door to the cargo hold, he snarled at the privates who were obviously trying to listen. They entered once more and took their position across from her. Back to guard duty for them. Back to dreaming for her. She almost wished that they had put her in hypersleep. She could then at least dream without interruption. Dreams were her only way of dealing with what she had done. A remembrance to those that had expelled their last breath due to her actions. Some would think it strange that she would want to dream about all the death she had brought about. Maybe even a little crazy. It wasn't though. It was about remembering her past. It was all she had. She was never the type to ponder about the future. Her life was in the now. Yes she planned ahead, but it was because she was already there. Living now, yet also beyond.

So confusing for those that didn't understand.

She really didn't want to think about things like that. It didn't matter. She was about to spend what remained of her life in a deep space prison colony. A place where the truly tormented lived. Men who were insane, but it wasn't a choice for them. This colony was for the forgotten. Ones that should have been kept away from everyone else. Of course it was shame that they were still being kept alive. It would have been better just to end their ongoing nightmare. Mercy. She believed in it. It was the only thing she could offer. A quick death. It was only proper.

Her thoughts left her as a sound started to fill her ears. It sounded like metal scrapping on metal. It ground and squealed. It clicked and groaned. Something was just off… or coming to a stop. She placed her ear against the cold metal wall. The noises were coming from inside.

"What are you doing?" one of the soldiers noticed her movements.

"Shh...," she continued to listen, "I hear something..."

He didn't appreciate her answer, "Keep your eyes forward!"

Roughly, he grabbed her chin and forced her head forward. He smirked. The sergeant wasn't there to stop him. The private could at least get a little fun in. The other officer just smiled. He wasn't going to say a thing.

Looking back to her, the first officer smirked, "Give me a reason."

She only smiled, "Private Shultz is it? You should really see to that noise. Don't want the ship to go dead."

"Shut your mouth," he slapped her face hard, "You don't tell me what to do."

"It is merely a suggestion," she aligned her jaw.

There was no way to tell what was going to happen next. Something was off. It just wasn't right. Years of experience and strong instincts told her that it was time to prepare. Prepare for what, she couldn't say.

It was that moment to decide on fight or flight. She looked down to the heavy restraints that bound her arms and legs and tethered her to the floor. Fight was plausible, but in a small area that was surrounded by the vacuum of space… it was not the wisest decision. Similar problem with flight. Nowhere to run. Not when movement was restricted. Her muscles were stiff and there was a knot in her neck. Not to mention behind the heavy metal doors lay eight soldiers that were more than willing to shot her and the two there that were ready to shoot.

"Of course you don't want to shoot when you're in a tin can in the middle of a frozen vacuum," she leaned down and took hold of the tether.

"What did you say?" Shultz took aim, "Sit up!" he order, "I said sit up!" he reached for her.

It happened in that moment. Everything slowed down. Something snapped from behind the wall. The sound of shearing metal filled the air. Emergency lights started to flash as a voice overhead started to warn of a decrease in pressure. A chorus of other voices filled the air. They screamed and yelled as the ship violently shook back and forth. Everything that wasn't tied down soon was lifted and tossed about. That included the two soldiers with her. She was at least fastened to the ground. Her body wanted to move, but it had no choice but to stay.

 _Funny…,_ she smiled as she watched bodies and items suspend in air, _they leashed me to the ground and now they wish they were…_

Things that were once on the ground were plaster to the back of the cargo bay. The soldiers struggled and moaned as their bodies started to feel the pressure. The ship was falling. To where, she did not know. How far, she could only guess. The bay heated up. Planet fall or an explosion. Both of them were plausible. Though she hoped for the first. That would easier to survive. She just hunkered down and let her body go loose. All she do was wait for the crash.


	2. Something is out there

**Chapter Two**

 **Something is out There…**

Her eyes fluttered open. Smoke filled her lungs as she took her first breath. It reeked of burning fuel and smoldering metal. There was one other smell... one very distinct smell. She chose to ignore it. No use in mourning the dead when she very well could have been the next one. The scene was almost surreal. Sparking wires. Scorched walls. Smoke rising from all sorts of places. Metal twisted into ways that almost seemed beautiful. As lovely as it was, she needed to leave. Looking down at her bonds, she smiled. The wire that once connected her to the floor had snapped and the shackles around her ankles were cracked and about ready to fall off. With quick jolt, the metal restraints fell to pieces; freeing her from the ground. The bonds around her wrists were still holding tight however. She tried twisting her wrists, but they held fast. With an irritated sigh, she knew that she would have to deal with it later. Right then, she had to make her way out of the smoldering ship.

Gingerly she stood up. Nothing seemed to give or snap. There still was a knot in her neck and her muscles found it hard to move, but she seemed altogether. Ducking and weaving through the mess of wires and twisted metal, she headed for an opening in the haul.

"Help... Someone there? Please help," a weak voice came from a pile of metal and boxes.

 _It must be one of the soldiers,_ she thought to herself, _I know that one of them was pulled out when the haul was breeched. Guess this one managed to hang on long enough,_ she started to pull the wreckage away.

What she found was a torn up man. Cuts and forming bruised lined his face and other exposed areas of flesh. Blood was flowing from his mouth; he apparently nearly bit off his tongue. As he coughed and uttered words the blood poured and bubbled out. He was starting to choke on his own blood.

"Stay calm," she turned his head just enough to let the blood flow out.

His breaths were still labored and the blood continued to pool. There was a rattling coming from his throat that seemed to originate in his cheat. She gingerly pulled the piece of metal sheeting off of the soldier. She let out a sigh as she looked at mangled body underneath. Sharp steel splinters pierced the poor man's body. It appeared that they has perforated his chest. She gently laid the metal sheet back down and looked to the soldier.

He looked up at her and understood, "Doesn't look good, huh?"

"Would you like the truth or a sweet little lie?" she smiled as she took hold of his hand.

He smiled back, "Whatever your targets preferred…"

She only smiled as she took his hand. He didn't understand her past… he didn't understand what she had done… he didn't understand that she never gave them a choice… she choose them for them… she know had to choose again…

"Shh…," she soothed him, "Close your eyes and a rescue team will soon be here soon. Rest and everything will be alright…," she smiled and squeezed his hand.

He gave a small chuckle, "A sweet little lie then…," his eyes fluttered back as his throat started to gurgle.

He tried to take in a deep breath, but his lungs could only take in so much. The only thing they were receiving was blood. He coughed once more to expel the blood from his mouth and throat. It was no use though.

The familiar sound of a death rattle filled the air. The young man was no longer suffering. She wished that she could have done more to ease his pain. She was never one to let another suffer… that was enough suffering in this existence.

… at least she held his hand…

Gently she closed his eyes and mumbled a quiet pray. Habit. She always had said one. Habit. A strange one.

Standing up slowly, she looked around to see where she could possibly escape. Scraps of sharp metal litter the bay. Wires strung about with arks of electricity spitting off of them. Plastic shards poked through and sat like traps waiting to draw blood. There was light though… coming through the holes that lined the haul of the ship.

She took a step towards the opening closest to her. A sharp pain shot up through her left leg. She clinched her teeth, but refused to make a sound.

Sounds alerted others to weakness… she mustn't be weak…

Looking down she could see that she had been burned from the fiery explosion. Odd how she didn't notice it before. It wasn't too bad. First to second degree burns. It certainly could have been worst. She was more relieved by the fact that her clothing seemed to be intact. A strange thought maybe, but it was one less thing to worry about. Checking over the rest of her, she found that she had several superficial cuts. Enough to bleed. Nothing to worry about. She's had worst… but it had been so long since she had bled… so long since she…

She licked a trickle of blood from her arm…

"Taste like… metal… Iron…? Maybe…," she shrugged her shoulders, "Not that it matters," she looked back to her chosen means of exit.

It was a hole in the side of the ship that was just big for her to slip through. Wading her way through the mass of sharp debris, she pulled herself through the opening and into the sunlight. She had to protect her eyes for a moment. It had been so long since she had felt the warm kiss of a sun. Locked away in the deepest darkest of places, she had only been treated to the fluorescent light that peeked into her cell on rare occasions. Now her body was bathed in a glorious light that surrounded her.

It was almost too… surreal…

"Maybe I did die in the crash," she took in a deep breath of fresh air.

She felt a metal barrel being placed up against her temple, "You're going to wish that you had," a voice hissed.

She smiled as she turned her head, "Good to see that I'm not the only survivor. I was afraid that I would have no one to talk to…"

"I bet you were," it was one of the soldiers.

His body was shaking. Possibly with adrenaline or fear. Or maybe some combination of the two. Blood was pouring down his face from a long cut across his brow. Bruises and burns lined his arms. His uniform was torn and bloodied. No longer in the pristine condition that it was when they first departed.

"Where are Shultz and Jordan?" the soldier asked through his clinched teeth.

She wasn't threatened by his aggressive demeanor. Fear and adrenaline makes people unbalanced. Unbalanced people were easier to deal with… when one knows how to.

Looking to his name tag, Angel spoke calmly, "Campbell is it? I hate to tell you, but your fellow soldiers… Shultz… Jordan… didn't make it. Jordan is in there," she indicated to ship, "He's just passed away. His wounds were far too severe. I don't know what happened to Shultz. I think he was pulled out when we started crash…," she lowered her eyes, "I'm so for your lose."

The soldier's face started to contort and twist as he tried to hold back his emotions. They would not stay hidden though. They poured out of him as tears flowed from his eyes and sounds of mourning filled the air.

"No," he yelled at her, "You're lying. You're lying! Shultz! Jordan! Where are you guys? Come on… there's no time for games," he peeked inside what remained of the ship, "Come on and help me secure this bitch," he remembered that he should be keeping his gun trained on Angel, "Guys? Come on… Jordan…?" he must have seen what remained of his comrade, "Oh god…," he bent over and tried to catch his breath.

"Breathe," Angel coached him, "It's never easy seeing someone die, especially when you work closely with them…"

"SHUT UP!" Campbell swung his fist as hard as he could.

She could have avoided the punch, but he would have just kept swinging if he didn't land a hit. His fist made contact with her jaw.

 _A solid hit…,_ she thought to herself as she staggered back from the blow.

It really didn't hurt. Stung a little. Not too bad though. She only acted stunned so maybe the soldier would be satisfied with his violent revealed. Falling back, she lend up against the remaining outer haul of the ship. Slipping down, she landed on the charred earth. She shook her head to act as if she were still in shock from the punch. Leaning her head up against the ship, she hope that the soldier would approve of his handy work.

Something caught her eye…

A panel on the side of the ship… not a panel… the lid to a compartment… it was ajar… something familiar gleamed inside… her heart skipped a beat… things that was a part of her… so close…

 _But why… why are they here…?_ She resisted the urge to reach out for the objects of her desire, _so… clear now…_

"Is that all you can take!?" the soldier yelled at her, "Not such a tough little soldier are you?" he spit on her, "The best that military had to offer… you… sicken me," he gave her a swift kick to the ribs.

She recoiled in pain. A kick to the ribs was a kick to the ribs. Especially since the soldier was wearing steel toes boots. It hurt. It was a sharp pain that filled her side. She just tucked herself up into a ball. She looked to the hidden compartment. What was inside was so tempting to grab. It could save her from more blows.

… but it would seal her fate as well…

"You did all this… you caused all this to happen…," he brought up his gun, "You made the ship crash… you killed Jordan… Shultz!" he called out, "You kill him too?" his rage was starting overflow, "You… you deserve this…," he took aim at her.

She watched as he placed his finger over the trigger. There was nothing but anger in his eyes as he stared down at her. There were tears as well. They flowed down his cheeks and mingled with his blood. They were hot, angry tears.

Unjustified… she had nothing to do with the crash…

"STAND DOWN PRIVATE CAMPBELL!" an authoritative voice boomed through the air.

Behind the shaking man stood a group of battered and bruised soldiers. They looked like they had been through hell. Blackened eyes. Cuts where ever skin showed. One even had one of his arms in a makeshift sling.

 _Only six… there were ten… this should be interesting…_ Angel noticed that soldiers were missing.

"Stand down Private!" the sergeant yelled at the soldier, "There's no time for that!" he pulled the gun out of the man's hands.

"You know she's the one that caused all this," Campbell yelled back, "She's the one that caused the crash! She's the one that caused the deaths of Jordan and Shultz!"

Sgt. Collins looked to his man than to Angel then to the ruins of the ship, "Jordan? Shultz? They're dead?"

The soldier shook his head, "She killed them… with her escape attempt. We need to execute her for her crimes!"

"Get a hold of yourself," the sergeant slapped the nearly hysterical man across the face, "There's no way that she could have caused the crash. She was secured the entire time. She was drugged when she came abroad. She didn't cause the crash."

Campbell stumbled back from the surprise strike. He was obviously stunned and not sure what to do next. The sergeant knew what to do though.

"Secure the prisoner," he ordered a couple of his men, "Check the bay for Jordan, Shultz and anything useful," he ordered the others.

Two of the soldiers headed into the remains of the ship, while three came up to Angel. They roughly pulled her up and started to check the binds that remained on her.

"Make sure those are good and tight," Sgt. Collins eyed the shackles around her wrists.

"Prisoner is secure sir," one soldier reported.

"Trust me," Angel brought up her bound arms, "They are very secure."

"Good…," the sergeant grumbled as he turned his attention back to the ship, "How's it looking in there corporal? Are our boys alright? Is there anything left that we can use to contact base?"

"Sorry sir," the corporal stuck his head out, "Jordan's succumb to injuries sustained in the crash. Shultz is nowhere to be found. And most of the equipment in here is fried," he pulled himself out of the ship.

"Damnit!" the sergeant cursed under his breath, "… Jordan and Shultz were good men… and good soldiers… a little zealous sometimes, but they were loyal," he eyed Angel.

She just stared back at him. She wasn't about to defend her choices to a man that didn't understand her past… or how complex the situation he had gotten him and his men into.

 _He speaks of loyalty, but he doesn't understand it. It's give and take… he's the only one giving… so are his men… their lives will be taken if they continue on this destructive path…,_ she felt sorry for the soldier and their ignorance of the situation.

Campbell seemed to come out of his dazed state, "Then let's get revenge for their deaths then," he reached for a gun, but his fellow soldier kept it away from him.

"None of that," Sgt. Collins pushed him away, "You don't know how much I would love just to pop one in the back of her head," he gritted his teeth, "but we are under strict orders not to kill her unless she makes a move. Is that understood soldier?"

"Who would know!?" Campbell yelled, "We just say that she caused all this shit. Shoot her and we return home as heroes."

"You'll come home to your own execution," Angel knew that his plan was flawed.

So did the sergeant.

"Patience. Patience. She'll make a move," he whisper to the soldier, "When she does… she'll pay for everything she's done…," he gave Angel a glare.

"But!" the soldier started again.

"No another word about it," he order him, "Go walk it off," he shooed him away, "but don't go far… we need a plan to get off this backwater planet… Everybody take five, patch yourselves up and get your gear ready. Corporal," he looked inside the ship, "Let's see if there is anything left to salvage. Russell. Johnson. Keep an eye on our little Angel here."

They gave a quick salute as the sergeant and corporal disappeared into the ship. The others started to look over one another and checking their gear. Angel just leaned up against the ship. No one was going to check her injuries. All well and good. She could handle pain. Campbell was still steaming that he wouldn't be able to avenge his fallen brothers. He glared at Angel one more time before he stomped off towards a line of trees.

It was strange that Angel really had noticed where she was. Yes she had felt the sunlight and the fresh air fill her senses. But it was the first time that she actually looked around at her new surroundings. They were far different from the ones she was used to. Bright greens, vibrant yellows, rich reds, iridescent oranges… even the dull tans and beiges had an astounding brilliance to them.

A jungle… a living, breathing jungle… so free and… natural… it didn't suffocate like the confines of a city… it contained… pure… deep… darkness… something that gave her delight… aroused instincts in her that had gone dormant long ago… it was euphoric…

She smiled as she stared at the lofty trees and thick underbrush. A venerable playground for those that knew how to move through it.

Exciting… Thrilling… Intoxicating…

 _Movement…,_ something caught her eye.

It was slight, but it was there. Movement amongst the leaves and underbrush. Nothing was there, but there was still movement. She looked around at the soldiers. They didn't seem to notice anything strange. Their instincts were not as honed as hers were. They wouldn't know if something was out there.

Something was watching them…

"Alright boys," Sgt. Collins climbed out of the torn ship, "Good news. Our weapons and gear survived the crash…," he let out a sigh, "Our communication array is shot. That means we have no way of contacting base."

There was a collective groan among the group.

"I don't want to hear!" the sergeant barked, "We've been in tougher situations and we made it out. We'll make it out of this one. There is still some good equipment in there. Gather it up and we may be able to…"

"AAAAAGGGGGGHHHHHH!" a scream rang through the air.

They all turned around towards the direction of the scream.

"Campbell!?" Sgt. Collins yelled out.

There was only silence.

"I don't think we're alone…," Angel stared off into the jungle, "Something is out... and it's watching us…"


	3. The Eyes

**Chapter Three**

 **The Eyes**

"CAMPBELL! CAMPBELL!" the soldiers yelled into the dense jungle.

For nearly twenty minutes they had been calling out to their comrade. They stood at the edge of the jungle. None dared to step past the tree line and into the unknown. One of their own was in trouble… what kind they weren't sure. He had yelled in terror… from what they didn't know. Where he was… there were only his fading screams to hear.

The sergeant clinched his teeth and cursed as he turned his back from the jungle, "Damnit… haven't we endured enough today," he looked back out to the dense foliage, "Russell. Johnson. Stay here with the prisoner and scavenge for parts we can use to repair the comms. The rest of you come with me to find Campbell. If we become separated head back here. If we don't find Campbell in twenty, then return here. Understood?"

"Yes Sir!" they all answered back.

"I wouldn't do that," Angel warned, "There is something out there and it knows that we are weak. It has been watching us since we emerged… I recommend that you and you men stay here, repair you comms and fortify your position here."

"What?" he could believe his ears, "In what part of that psychopathic mind of yours believes that I'm going to take orders from a traitorous piece of filth like you?"

"The one that knows you don't want to lose any more of your men," she sighed, "The part that knows rushing into the black abyss is suicidal. Listen to the one that lurked and hunted from the darkness," she stared directly into his eyes, "The eyes are upon us… they will hunt us down one by one…"

He couldn't stay his hand any longer. With an open palm, he aimed for her face. The only thing that he slapped was air. She ducked down and jumped back out of reach. Falling to one knee, her leg and side were on fire. She was trained to ignore pain and… even enjoy it… but she was only human after all.

Two soldiers quickly took hold of her and brought her up to the sergeant. He just stared at her with angry eyes. Words were forming on his lips, but they would do little damage… especially to someone like her.

"Russell, you pull as much as you can and see if you can get the comms back up. Johnson," the sergeant looked to Angel, "keep an eye on her," he brought up the butt of his gun.

"I apologize…," she growled, "I just didn't feel like taking another unjustified hit."

"Too bad," Sgt. Collins went to strike her.

She refused to flinch.

He stopped just before the butt of the gun reached her forehead, "We've got enough trouble with one of us missing to be dragging your unconscious ass around. Pull your gear together boys," he turned back to the rest of his men, "Let's find Campbell as quick as we can."

"Yes sir!" they answered in unison.

"Move out!" he gave the final order as he headed into the jungle.

The small group of soldiers formed a straight line as they took long steps through the thick underbrush. The snapping of twigs and rustling of leaving were heard echoing through the trees. Voices calling out for a missing comrade came, but quickly faded as the trees absorbed the sound. They were gone… deep into the jungle… deep into the darkness…

"You… you think they'll find him?" Johnson looked to Russell.

Russell stared off into the jungle, "… Yeah," he shook his head, "He's probably just foolin' around. You know," he gave a forced laugh, "like on Tarron 2… remember how he hid behind the rocks and acted like he fell down that mine shaft? He's probably just blowing off some steam… having some fun…"

"Well," Johnson snorted, "I'm not. Let's just do what we need to do and get off this rock. Come on," he pushed Angel in the direction of the ship.

She turned to look where the soldiers had disappeared into the jungle. She no longer felt the eyes… they were looking elsewhere now.

Coming back up to the remains of the ship, the soldiers took their posts. Russell climbed into cargo bay and Johnson kept his eyes on Angel. She wasn't going anywhere though. Her senses that had been dulled and buried while she was caged were being awoken and pulled to the front of her mind. She would rather give them time to readjust then cause trouble.

She just needed to bide her time…

Her eyes were forward. Her ears were alert to any sound. The hairs on her back of her neck stood up.

It had been a long time since she had felt like prey.

It was oddly exhilarating.

She smiled internally. She felt alive after being in a deathlike stupor. Too many years she had retreated inside. Too many years she had let herself be bound. Too many years… she had chosen to be dead.

"You… umm… said something was out there… watching us…," Johnson asked in a hushed voice, "Were… were you serious?"

She release a little sigh, "I have lived a long time… Mostly asleep… I live lies while I sleep… I live the truth while I am awake. If I am asleep, there you nothing to fear," she looked him straight in the eye, "If I am awake… keep your eyes open… take note of the most insignificant thing… and don't let your guard down," she warned as she leaned up against the haul of the ship.

The soldier was not sure what to think of her warning. His confusion was all over his face. There was a lot to think about… a lot to take in… it was hard for someone that walk such a linear path… He shook his head and turned his attention back out to the jungle. It was best if he just did as he was ordered to. That was easy to make sense of. Orders were orders. Nothing more. Nothing less.

She really could less about what was going through the soldier's mind. She was more concerned about what was watching them before. Though that feeling had left, she could still feel the residue piercing glare. She had felt this before… but it had been a long time.

Memories of the past often bubbled up inside of her… for a moment or two, but like bubbles… they popped so easily… and gone…

"Hey…," Russell called out before he stepped into the ruins of the ship, "Do… you think… we should bury him… bury Jordan? I don't know if we could transport him… I just don't know if it's right to bury him on a strange world…"

"Better to give him a proper burial in strange dirt than to let whatever out there pick his bones," Johnson sighed, "... he wouldn't care where he was buried… didn't have anyone or anyplace that he was attached to…"

"You're right…," Russell carefully stepped into the cargobay, "I'll get him out… if you can…"

"Yeah," Johnson knew what he was going to ask, "Just need something to…"

"The gear survived," Russell disappeared, "I'm sure there's some shovels we can use…," the sounds of his rummaging filled the air.

Johnson didn't really pay attention to what Russell was doing. His thoughts were more directed at what Angel had said earlier. He wasn't sure if he was feeling what she was feeling. The eyes that is. He kept his gun close and his finger over the trigger. He would be ready if the eyes and their owner came back to watch them.

Angel wasn't too were far more interesting things to be watching in the jungle now. The eyes wouldn't return for awhile. It would give her time to think and prepare… to gather the things that called out to her… things that were so close…

 _Patience…,_ she told herself, _Just have to position myself… the time is coming… coming to reclaim what is mine… coming to reclaim what was taken from me…_

She looked to see where the two soldiers were. Russell was hanging out a hole with a couple of shovels in his arms. Johnson was backing up to grab them. He didn't want to take his eyes off the line of trees. Her words had made him paranoid. Eventually he had made his way to the shovels and took hold of them. Russell only snorted as he disappeared back into the ship. Johnson just let the shovels drop; his eyes were playing tricks on him or so he hoped.

Angel could see that they both were distracted.

 _Perfect…,_ she smiled.

Sliding down the hull of the ship, she positioned herself closer to the panel that she had noticed before. Only inches… she wasn't only inches from it… so close… but not the right time.

She felt a bead of sweat run down her cheek.

She ignored it. Sweat was nothing new to her. Days locked in a hot box in a prison that was on a world were temperatures never dipped below 98 degrees. Sweat was nothing new, just a minor, salty annoyance. Still…

She pulled the top half of her orange jumpsuit down to reveal the white tank top underneath. It couldn't only go down so far since her hands were bond, just off her shoulders. It was enough to cool her just a bit and an excuse to pull a little closer to the panel. Johnson noticed these movements.

"What are you doing?" he pointed his gun at her.

"Just trying to beat the jungle heat," she relaxed her body, "Can you blame a girl?"

"No…," he looked over her once, "You're kinda hot… I mean it's kind of hot… here… in the jungle…"

Angel snorted, "Please don't… I've had to endure the glares and cat calls of men that weren't even half sane. I really just prefer the hateful stare… it makes me feel human…," she looked away from him.

Johnson drew his eyes away from her, "Sorry… can't help it sometimes… Just a man… ya know…"

She understood, "Longing eyes and mind are easy to distract… a longing heart is harder to deter… Keep the first two busy and the third will have to follow."

The soldier thought for a moment, "That's… good advice…," he turned his attention to the shovel he let fall, "Thanks…"

"I may be a traitorous bitch as the Sergeant put it, but I am… was... human and remember the faults of my body, the betrayal of my mind and faltering of my heart," Angel leaned her back up against the slightly opened panel.

"You say weird, but oddly wise things…," Johnson wasn't sure what to make of her, "I'm just going to… start digging… a grave… Keep my mind busy… and body too," he picked up one of the shovels and started to dig into the soft earth.

He was slightly turned away from her. He would be too busy moving the deep brown earth to notice what she was doing. His mind was distracted, just as she wanted it to be. Her movements would have to be slowly and undetectable, but purposeful.

It was almost time to start… start her path to…

She turned her eyes back to the treeline. There was no movement, but she could feel something slinking through. It was like before though. She didn't feel the burning stare of the eyes… the eyes that studied… This was different. These eyes didn't need to watch. They understood what needed to be done. They had seen all their movements before. They just needed to be in the perfect place.

They were positioning themselves for the hunt…

"Johnson… is it?" she could feel the need for flight or fight building, "Something is out there again… something different from before... it's watching… I would prepare for whatever comes next."

He paused as he looked out towards the tree. Maybe her words had made him paranoid; normally he wouldn't have listened to a prisoner. Dropping the shovel, he brought up his weapon and scanned for any movement. His eyes saw nothing. The leaves didn't stir. No branches broke. Nothing seemed to be in the woods. He didn't even hear fellow soldiers anymore.

The silence… was maddening…

"Hey!" a voice yelled from behind Johnson.

"AHHHH!" he jumped around and started to fire his weapon.

It was a good solid thirty seconds before Johnson let his finger off the trigger. The haul of the ship now had deep dents and embering holes. The sounds of the rounds still echoed in the air as did the heavy breathing of the soldier. He lowered his gun and looked around at what he just done.

"Russell? You okay?" he sheepishly called out.

"...," slowly the soldier's head appeared in one of the larger holes, "What the hell is wrong with you!? Why did you just freak out and nearly shoot me to pieces?"

"The prisoner… the eyes… she said something was watching us," he pointed to Angel, "She said to be ready for what was coming…"

Russell looked to him in disbelief, "What the hell? Seriously? She's messing with you," he yelled at Johnson, "She'll say anything to throw you off guard. Just forget about it and concentrate on digging Jordan's grave. And you!" he pointed at Angel, "Shut your mouth! I if I hear another word out of you, I'm going to knock out all your teeth!"

"Not if it kills you first…," Angel finally saw what had been watching them.

It had not distinguishable eyes; not any that Angel could tell, but she could feel it's stare. It's body was black and appeared skeletal. Long and sleek, it had to be taller than a man if it stood up straight. It's long dome like head swooped back and was so smooth. Silvery fangs glistened in the sun as long tendrils of clear drool dripped down. A long tail that looked like it was made out of vertebra whipped about. The end of it looked so sharp that it could pierce through hardened steel… most certainly the flesh and bone of a man. It dug its claw like dug into the metal haul of the ship; the sound it made shrieked through the air and filled their ears with pain.

Russell looked through the hole up at the creature, "What the hell…?" is all he managed to get out of his mouth.

It didn't give him a chance to finish his sentence. It clawed its way into the ship and was on top of Russell before he could reach his gun. It pounced upon him like a starving dog on a bone with a bit of meat still on it. His screams filled the air as he tried to protect himself from the vicious attached.

Johnson just stood there and watch and listened to his comrade's howls of pain and anguish. He could have started shooting; he had plenty of ammo left even though he had let loose some rounds. He should have run up to the remains of the ship and tried to free his friend that creature's grasp. He didn't though.

He stood frozen… listening to his fellow soldier's death cries.

Angel, however, would not remain. Shoving her bound hands into the panel, she took hold of whatever she could. Only two things came out with her hands, but she knew that would be enough. Pushing herself up, she ran to Johnson.

"There's nothing you can do for him now," she whispered into his ear, "Others are coming… I can feel them drawing close. We have to run now or we will share you friend's fate," she looked to where the noise of the soldier started to die down, "Walk away slowly so we don't attract its attention."

She kept her eyes on where the creature had dove in. only its long whipping tail could be seen through the holes with a few shadows hinting at the dying fight… the dying man. She pulled once more at the soldier's armor, hoping that would wake him from his stupor. He seemed to come back to himself and looked to her. His face was pale and his lips were trembling. Nothing was making sense to him.

Bringing her hand up and across his face, "Fight or Flight… never Freeze. Death will always win in the end, but hopefully not today," she moved away from him.

He looked back to the ship. There were only the sounds of the creature inside now. Russell's voice was gone and would never be heard from again. He knew that she was right; there was nothing left for him to do but save his own life. Cautiously, he followed after her; ever keeping his eyes on the creature as it did whatever it did with Russell's still body.

They came to the edge of the meadow. The trees loomed overhead and seemed to cast such ominous shadows over the small shrubs that were litter across the jungle floor. It didn't look so dark before, when the other soldiers disappeared into the jungle. Now there seemed to be things lurking about… waiting for them to blunder in unaware of the true dangers.

Angel understood what they were walking into. There were just as many dangers staying with the creature as walking through the jungle. It was a risk, but she knew she stood a better chance in a place where the creature would have to move carefully as they would. Motioning to the soldier, she took her first steps into the shady cover of the trees. They movements were swift and quiet as they headed into dense areas. Areas where such large creatures would have a difficult time moving through or so Angel hoped.

Ahead of them there was a tree with thick buttresses, but a hollow area underneath it. It would make for a good place to catch their breath and understand what they had just seen. They pushed inside and found that the place was damp and hard to breath. It would have to do.

Johnson held his gun tightly to his chest to a point where his fingers and knuckles were turning white. Looking closer at him, Angel could see that he was pale and dripping with a cold sweat. His lips were still trembling and his pupils were small. Fear gripped him and wasn't about to let go. Angel could understand.

She knew that kind of fear… a long time ago… it took hold and wouldn't shake loose… she wouldn't allow it though… fear became anger… but anger wasn't necessary now… calm and cool thoughts were needed… she took in a deep breath…

"What… what…?" Johnson started to ask, but was interrupted by the contents of his stomach spewing forward.

"Let it all out," Angel wasn't bother by the soldier's display, "You'll feel better once you get it out."

She just let him do as he needed to do or at least what his stomach needed to do. Looking down to what she had managed to take from the secret compartment, she smiled. It was her favorite knife. It was about six inches long with a leather wrapped handle. A little worn and a few dents and scratches lined the tungsten blade. Marks of difficult targets. It was housed in a sheath made of similar metal, but had a few semi precious stones placed in it. A simple, but well decorated, tool that had been by her side ever since she was young. It was a good knife. Sharp and clean. Easy to use.

She loved her knife.

In her other contained a keycard; the kind that could open the shackles that bound her hands. Placing the knife in her mouth, she slid the keycard into the slot. The heavy metal shackles popped off her wrists. She rubbed her sore wrists and waved them about to get the feeling back in them. She could now fully stretch out and move without hendress. It felt good to move so freely even though she was in close quarters.

"How… what… where... what the hell is going on?" Johnson couldn't decide on what he really wanted to ask.

"I'll be blunt," Angel strapped her knife about her waist, "We've crashed landed on a planet that is so far from civilization that it would take weeks if not months to find us… if we managed to get the communications working," she added like it was an afterthought, "If we don't… welcome home," she smiled, "As for that thing that killed Russell, I don't know what it was. I've never seen anything like it. And I've seen so odd things in my life," she peeked through the buttresses, "I recommend that we stay clear of it, its friends and whatever else was watching us."

"You mean there's other things other than that thing out there that wants to kill us?" Johnson didn't like the sound of that.

"... Yes… but I think I know what the other thing is…," she recalled the feeling she had before the other soldiers had gone off into the jungle.

"What is it?" he asked as he came up next to her.

"Death…," she answered.


	4. Reclaiming the Past

Good to see everyone. There have been a lot of hits on this story and some lovely reviews. So thank you goes out to Guest and Mamabear24. Thank you for leaving me encouraging words. I hope that you continue to enjoy the story. That's all for now. See you next chapter.

 **Chapter Four**

 **Reclaiming the Past**

They had stayed there for awhile… the soldier and the traitor. They stayed underneath the protective buttresses of the tree. It was false safe haven though; Angel knew that. If that creature and the one that had yet to reveal itself really wanted to to get to them, they would. Wood, though thick, would not stop their sharp claws nor longing hunger. They would have to move soon. The eyes didn't seem to have followed them or knew where they were at the moment. That would change soon.

"What's the gameplan?" Johnson looked to her, "Should we try to find the Sergeant and the others? Or see if that… thing is gone and gather supplies?"

Strange… to her at least… that they hadn't heard anything from the group that blundered out into the jungle looking for someone that was most likely dead. Not a single peep or shout. There were no frantic sounds of men fleeing for their pathetic lives. Not even the snapping of twigs.

Only their hushed breaths entering and leaving their mouths.

"The remains of the ship is a no go…," Angel scanned the jungle, "I doubt that we will be able to find your fellow soldiers in this place very easily… not without them screaming," she whispered under her breath.

"What?" the soldier didn't hear her.

"I said that it would be hard to find the others without there being given any indication to their position," Angel restated her last comment.

"... oh… Maybe we should call out for them," he took in a deep breath so he could shout out.

"Don't you dare," she hissed as she placed her hand over his mouth, "Don't you know anything about hunting or being hunted?"

He pulled away from her, "What are you talking about?"

She quickly looked around to make sure nothing was spying on them, "When hunting one must remain quiet and still. Until they become one with the background noises and feelings of the place. They must be like they have always been there. Only move with precision and purpose. Strike when it is right and only when it is right. If you miss… you start again," she looked to him, "And sometimes you only have one chance. If you miss it, you die."

"What… what if you're the one being hunted?" he really wasn't sure if he wanted to know the answer.

"... Pray you're faster than me…," she answered him in a flat tone.

He understood, "... I wouldn't blame you for leaving me behind… not after the way you've been treated… how we've treated you…"

She could tell that he meant what he said, "You're doing what you've been told to do. A mindless grunt that doesn't question the words going through your ears. All forms of rebellious behavior quashed from your soul that was shattered during your time in training. Pain if you didn't listen… pain for your brothers if you disobeyed… You can't help yourself. I don't blame you for what has happened to me. I only have myself and those that thought they could punish me to blame. You and your fellow soldiers are merely just pawns in the game that we are playing."

"You're still going to leave me behind, aren't you?" Johnson questioned her.

She smirked, "Depends," once more she turned back to the jungle, "I don't think there's anything out there at the moment. I'm not feeling the eyes like I was at the ship. We should move before something notices us."

"Can't we stay? Seems safe enough," he wasn't too eager to venture out.

"Important word there," she snorted at him, "Seems. We need a place that we can defend, stay hidden and high."

"Still think we should look for the others," Johnson snorted, "There's strength in numbers. We could defend each other better."

"And you Sergeant could then throw me to the… the… whatever that thing was at the ship," she still was keen on the idea of stomping off into the jungle looking for men that were most likely dead or going to be very shortly.

Her mind wasn't interested in the men that went running off into dangers they didn't understand, but on the creature that had torn the soldier apart. She had never seen anything like it before. A mishmash of creatures fused together to form a deadly beast. The shape though… it didn't seem to be organic… more structured… like it was made… even crafted… its skin, talons and teeth like metal… strangely pounded out into an oddly beautiful form…

Alien… Form…

"Xeno… Morph…," she tried to remember some of the latin and greek that she had memorized.

"What?" Johnson looked to her.

"Nothing…," she shook her, "If we run across the others then fine, but I think that we should stay where the brush and trees are thick. Harder for larger things to move through. Stay low and…"

"AAAGGGG!" a scream pierced through the still air.

"That's them! That's one of them! They're in trouble!" Johnson came to the edge of the hollow space, "We have to save them!" he listened for where the yells were coming from, "Sounds like they're back at the ship! COME ON!" he started to run out.

"Rushing out there won't do any good," Angel held him back, "It may already be too late."

He pulled away from her and gave her a nasty glare, "Those are my friends out there! I let Russell die because I was too scared. I'm not going to freeze again. I'm not going to let another soldier die."

"NO! NO! AGGGG!" it sounded like another had met a horrible fate.

Johnson stood there and listened. It was silent once again. He couldn't even make out if there were other calling out for the men that had screamed. He didn't even here if any had fired any shots. It was strange that none had even fired a single round.

"What the hell… what the hell is out there?" he asked as his body began to shake.

"I don't know," Angel could understand his frustration, "but if you don't want to find out the horrible, bloody way, I advise that we move. If you do…," she pointed out into the jungle, "Go on ahead."

He paused for a moment, but only for a moment before he ran to where the last scream came from. He was brave and a true soldier. A friend and brother in arms.

"Stupid," Angel mumbled under her breath.

She knew that he wouldn't have lasted long even with her around. Not that she was sure that she was going to live much longer. Though she had her knife with her now, she still needed something more. Her knife had always been her last resort… her lifesaver…

She needed her riffle.

Looking back to where she and Johnson had run from, Angel knew that she was going to have to go back to the ship. All of her possessions were there. She could feel them the moment she had stuck her hand into the compartment. She was free from her shackles, but she still only felt like half the woman she use to be.

"Time to claim what is mine," she sighed as she poked her head from under the tree's roots.

Nothing… nothing seemed to be paying attention to her.

The eyes… were busy elsewhere… still… it was the best time to move

Ducking and weaving through the underbrush, Angel followed her and Johnson's footprints back to the clearing. She hadn't heard a sound since she left the hollow space under the tree. It made her nervous. She knew how she could move. She knew how she could come upon someone without making a sound. They wouldn't even know that she was there. They wouldn't even after she struck.

Silence was so unnerving…

A chill went down her spine.

Being prey was so tiring…

There was no time to think like that though. She was the prey for now, but she had a desire to be the predator once more. That would have to drive her ambitions. Her will to survive… not that she had lost it. It had only buried itself deep enough so it wouldn't be eroded away from the humiliation and degradation that she had endure over the years. It was coming forth now and showing that it was still as sharp as ever.

Placing herself just at the edge of the clearing, Angel had a clear view of the crash site. Carefully she scanned the scene for any type of moment. Looking through all the holes in the side of the ship, she watched for shadows and flashes of metallic skin. She listened for any sound that might indicate if the creature was still lurking about. Claws scrapping metal. Teeth grinding bones. Anything.

Nothing… just the sound of the gentle breeze through the trees.

Silence… she started to hate it.

Though it seemed quiet, she would still move with caution. Slowly stepping out from the underbrush, Angel kept her eyes and ears open. Her hand hovered over her knife just in case. She didn't want to draw it right away. Sometimes it was better to look harmless… she learned that a long time ago…

From the eyes… she had felt before… not the creature that stalked from inside the ship…

She was almost there. The panel that concealed the hidden compartment remained undisturbed since she had reach in. That was a good sign. Nobody or thing had notice the contents. This made her smile, but only on the inside. It was still a very serious situation that she was approaching. Slowly she crept up to the panel, only stopping to listen for any sounds.

Still, she heard nothing.

So… unnerving…

Peering inside, Angel could make out familiar objects from her past. Some had been by her side since she started her dark path so long. Others were just common items that she had similar things before. It really didn't matter though; they were her's to claim now, but she had to keep her head about her.

She peeked through one of the smaller holes in the side of the hull. She could see were the light managed to shine through and illuminate small sections of the interior. There was no moment that she could tell. Pools of bright red blood laid on the floor and smears of it lined the inside. Claw marks gouged deep into the metal skin of the ship. There was no body to be seen.

 _Must have taken the soldier's body,_ she thought quietly to herself, _must be a predator. Either its hiding from others from its kind or gathering food for a group of them… mmm... I hope they aren't a social animal. I don't think I would want to face a pack of them._

She kept thinking to herself as she pulled out the items from the compartment.

The type of clothing she like to wear was carefully wrapped around a package of rations, water and ammunition. A black carbon fiber case lay underneath the clothing and rations. Her hands began to tremble with excitement as she reached out for it. Though solid, she knew what was inside the case. It was something that she would dream about. Something that she longed to hold in her hands once more. Something, like her knife, that was part of her.

 _Behind_ …, she could feel a hard stare glaring at her.

She chose to ignore it for the moment. She was in a blissful moment and didn't want to leave it. It was better to wait for whomever was hatefully staring at her to get a little closer. Though protected now, she still had to move with caution and precision. Calculate her moves carefully…

… especially now… since the glaring eyes were upon her…

Angel felt a cold metal barrel push into the back of her head. It didn't hurt, just cold.

"You little bitch," a man hissed through clinched teeth, "You planned this, didn't you? Somehow you made this all happen. What did you do? Bride a guard? Sneak out of solitary confinement? I don't know how and frankly I don't give a shit, but I'm going to make you pay for what happened to my men," she felt the barrel dig a little deeper into her skull.

"If I may have a word?" she whispered, "I would keep your voice down. Something was here before that tore you soldier, Russell, apart. I haven't seen it yet, but I'm sure it's close. So hush up if you don't want to be torn to shreds."

"What!?" the man exclaimed.

It was the perfect moment to strike.

Whipping around, she took hold of the barrel and shoved the butt of the gun into the man's chest. He let out a loud oomph as he stumbled back from the hard blow. Taking advantage of his unbalanced state, Angel hooked his knee which caused him to fall back onto the ground. She quickly jumped on top of him, grabbed hold on his hands and placed her free hand over his mouth.

"Listen to me Sergeant," she hissed lowly, "This isn't a situation that you can control anymore. You were never meant to control it. This is a game that is getting out of hand. I am, like you, a pawn that is meant to to be sacrificed and thrown away at the command of chessmasters. We mean nothing to those in charge. As long as they get what they want, they will sacrifice and kill anyone. Your men…," she signed, "I'm sorry that they were the ones that had to be tossed aside for the vendetta your bosses had against mine. Mine is dead, so they needed to punish someone. Your and your men were nothing, therefore you've just been tossed in with me. I'm sorry," she bent down and whispered into his ear, "Run and hide. I know that you've seen the creatures that reside here. Beware the ones that you cannot see. They are death incarnate… I've witness their kind destroy everything that I held dear… they decimated everything… left me broken and scarred… shaped me into what I am today… they will hunt us until we are dead… Run!" she pushed herself off of him.

Kicking his gun out of his reach, Angel quickly grabbed her precious items from her past and made a dash to the jungle. She knew it would be dangerous in there. Beasts of black and silver and the eyes of the unseen death hunters would be in there too. She wasn't afraid though. She too could move through the shadows and bring her own death. She knew that she would have to call upon all her skills and instincts to stay alive.

 _From what remains of the soldiers… to the beasts that haunt this world… to the death that haunted my childhood…_ she ran and ran… _I will survive them..._


	5. Reveal Thyself

**Chapter Five**

 **Reveal Thyself**

The jungle was silent. Not a single sound echoed through the lofty canopy. She made sure that she wasn't making a sound. It would have been heard and given away her position. Her heartbeat stayed in her chest as she wouldn't allow it to come into her throat or ears. She needed her ears to listen. Any sound, no matter how slight or minute, could show her where hidden dangers lay. The rustle of leaves. The snapping of a twig. The scream of a soldier being torn limb from limb. They all meant something.

They all meant death…

Angel cautiously pulled apart the items that she had taken from the hidden compartment. Every moment had to have purpose and as little sound as possible. She could have found a better place to conceal herself, but that could have opened her to more attacks. She wanted to know the lay of the land before she prowled through it. She also wanted to be more comfortable and even the false sense of security of her possessions would give her an edge. If only mentally.

That was one thing most people didn't understand when it came to her work. How much mental gameplay there actually was. Yes it was very physical; even to a point where her body would break. That was only part of it. She suffered more mentally than anything. Her mental state was unbalanced and shattered after years of stalking and hunting her intended targets.

Good thing she lost her mind a long time ago…

There was not much left to break and it was easily repaired...

Slipping out of the standard issue prison wear, Angel put on the clothes that were left for her. Skin tight clothing that hugged her body and allowed it to move with great freedom. It breathed and would keep her cool as she proceeded through the steamy jungle. Fine, blackened chainmail would protect her from stray branches and the stabbing force of a knife. Shot from a pulse rifle would push right through, but she wouldn't allow someone to get a shot off. A nylon belt that could hold several throwing knives and shuriken. Luckily, there were several of these tools for her to place in the belt. There was a small pouch there as well. Filled with throwing needles and a small vile of liquid. Marked with a skull and crossbones, it made it all too clear what it was filled with. She quickly peeled the label off and ate it; didn't want others to know what was inside. That would be her little secret.

Swallowing the label, she scanned her surroundings for any movement. Nothing stood out to her. For now, nothing knew she was there. She wouldn't assume though. Assumptions didn't lead to good places. She would avoid that. It was only safe to assume that something knew she was there and merely biding its time. Waiting to strike.

She wouldn't allow that.

Turning her attention back to the final piece of her past, Angel ran her hand over the black case that excited her the most. It was the true piece to her past. The final piece of her that had been missing for so long. Wrenched from her; it was like someone had pulled out her heart and still make her live. Empty. Hollow. It was time to reclaim a piece of herself. The thing that gave her body the will to live. It was this moment that she had been suffering for. It was this moment that she had dreamed of... every night…

She slowly opened the case. She had to restrain herself though. This had to be quiet. She still was in dangerous territory. This piece of her could at least even the odds and make her just as dangerous as the creatures and beasts that lurked. She had claws; this would become her teeth. The case opened without a sound. It held within it her deathly intentions. In three pieces it lay in the foam padded case. Still shiny and scarred from her days of prowling the concrete jungles of humanity, her sniper rifle never looked so good. A bit old fashion and older than her, her weapon of choice was light and had a hair-trigger. It was perfectly fitted to her frame and had just enough kick back to let her know it meant business. It had always been by her side… save for her days of confinement… it was lost to her then… but now it lay before her…

Angel shook her head. There was no time to revel in the delight of finding a piece of herself. She was being hunted. The soldiers, what was left of them, would be looking for her. The beast that attacked at the ship would surely be looking for more prey. The eyes… death… never turned away from a good hunt. She was a good hunt or so she would like to think. Maybe that was a compliment to herself or maybe an insult. She wasn't about to debate the matter. Right now, she needed to assembly her favorite weapon and find higher ground. From a better vantage point, she could tell what she had to work with.

Placing each piece carefully, she soon had a complete rifle. It had been a long time, but she remembered every part of her ritual. Which pieces to place together. How to twist and click them together. Which ones had to come first. Which one had to be last. She didn't skip a beat as her weapon… her heart… came together. Carefully, she placed the ammo into the chamber. It was the only draw back to her chosen weapon; only a few shots before it had to be loaded again. She only needed one though… usually. This was a different situation.

Kissing the barrel of her rifle, she prayed to whatever god, deity or devil would listen.

"Might as well just pray out loud," she snickered to herself, "the Devil is already here…"

Placing her weapon on her back, Angel double checked her items to make sure she had everything she needed. Food. Water. Ammunition. Weapons. Everything she needed to survive from foes that had yet to reveal their full cruel nature. There was only one more thing to do.

She clawed at the soft, dark soil of the jungle floor. It didn't have to be deep, but just enough to give a proper funeral. When it was just the depth she wanted, she placed the prison uniform that had been confining her in the shallow grave. Pulled the dirt back over it, she patted it down into a firm mound. The black case that held her precious past would make a fine tombstone. She pushed it into the dirt and it stood on it's own. For moment, she bowed her head and said a little pray.

She was burying a piece of herself. The past that she rather not remember. It was a part of her and shaped her, but she still wanted it to bury. It was only fitting that she would give it a proper funeral.

Closing her eyes as she finished her pray, Angel could feel the familiar stare. It was eyes that had been watching her before. Hungry, but curious eyes. She could feel that the eyes were more interested in watching than hunting. They still wanted to come to her, but for now they would merely keep their distance. Watching.

She could watch too.

She didn't show any signs that she knew the eyes were there. She didn't want to show her hand. Not yet. It wasn't the place or time. She rather choose the place. Looking around, she knew this wasn't the proper place for a confrontation. It was narrow and the trees would even get into her way. She needed an open place. Someplace that she could move with ease.

She may have the advantage killing from a distance, but the kind of fight needed to be up close… and it was personal.

She needed to face this… death… from her past.

With one more check of her equipment, she was ready to venture forth. She acted like a creature poking its nose out to make sure the coast was clear. Smelling the air for any scent that could give away a predator's position. Scanning for any movements. Something that proved that it was not a safe place.

Save for the stare she felt, there was nothing else that alerted her to danger. Gripping the strap that held the rifle to her back, Angel took off through the jungle. It may have not been the wisest to run through a place she did not know or understand, but she was hoping that the eyes watching her didn't have a great understanding of the land either. She ducked and wove through the trees and underbrush as fast as she could. Her lungs taking in the moist and earthy jungle air. Though she was running through her life, it still felt and smelled so delicious.

She could always put aside some time to enjoy fresh, clean air.

Something caught her attention. A body… a man hanging from trees… his skin… removed…

She only paused for moment. This horror was not new to her. A macabre display meant to scare and intimidate to all those that would happen to fight it.

This didn't matter to her those. This man was not a friend or someone that she knew dearly. It didn't have the effect it was intended to. It only confirmed her thoughts on what was out here. It disturbed her as a child to see it, but she had seen worse horrors since. Even committed worse… maybe…

Without further hesitation, she continued on her journey to find the vantage point. She now knew that she was in its territory now. It was too late to turn around though. Most likely it had already closed off any avenue of escape. It was a big space though. Even it could not cover that much area. She had to be carefully though. The owner of the eyes hid more than itself. It hid deadly traps.

Anything that looked like a tripwire or snare, she quickly jumped over or completely avoided. She would not be someone else's prey. Weaving in and out, to and fro, ducking and jumping; things that appeared like traps were getting thicker.

She could have just been growing more paranoid.

So many ways to die started popping inside her mind. They mingled with her past memories. How she killed. How others killed. All the ways to kill. All the ways… they killed.

This jungle was becoming a place of death.

She could be next… that's what it wanted… she bore a mark of death… or so she thought… scarred deep into her skin… never leaving her… like the images that plague her memories… her childhood… of blood…

She had to stop for a moment.

It had been a long time since she felt such fear. The fear like a child has when the storm howls and flashes. The fear of the unknown as one looks into the darkness of space. It was something that she never quite gotten over. In the past she would push it down, but it rarely reared its ugly head. There were few things that she was afraid of.

But those eyes… she had stared into those eyes…

They were death… she feared death… like any good mortal does… it was a healthy fear…

Death is the ultimate victor in the game mortals call life.

Though by her side, she still knew that it would come for her eventually.

She just wanted to have a say in the matter.

Taking in a deep breath, Angel took notice to her surroundings. It was a wider game path. The trees were thin and small. Not much underbrush. Nothing to get tangled up in, but enough space to move and control. No signs of traps or hanging bodies.

It would have to do.

"I know that you are here. All the signs are here," she called out to the unseen eyes, "The hanging body… the traps… I know your tricks… I know how you hunt. Though only a child when I witness your horrors, I still watched and learned with wide eyes. You put fear into those that see the desecrated bodies. The fear drives them to run. Fear makes them blind to your traps. Much blood flows. I saw all this. You seen me too," she started to push her fear down, "You've seen me too. You know that I will not fall prey to such things. My blood was not spilled years ago and I'm not about to let it happen now. I survived you little game and lost everything in the process. You marked me," she pulled her shirt to the side to reveal a deep scar, "I am not the weak child that I was when you hunted and scarred me. I should almost thank you though," she started to chuckled to herself, "I have grown into a warrior or so I like to think. I have become something more. If you are a warrior… if you have any type of honor. Come and face me. No tricks. Just two warriors in a honorable fight. To the victor… life… to the loser… death… What do you say nightmare from my childhood? Will you fight or will you let your traps and the jungle take me? Reveal thyself!" she watched for any movement.

The leaves started to rustle just ahead of her. Something moved through them, but remained unseen. The sounds of clicking and low growling filled the air and finally brought an end to the maddening silence. Waves formed in the empty air and bent around the shape of a large humanoid creature. Sparks of energy popped and crackled as the being materialized. There it stood, the creature of her nightmares.

"There you are…," she growled, "... death… incarnate…"


	6. Battling the Past

Chapter Six

Battling the Past

There it stood.

So strange that it looked like the memory of her childhood.

A being that stood taller than a man. Built like bull, but certainly stronger than one. Pale yellowish gray skin with darker spots. Streaks of orangish red outlined its major muscle groups on its chest and abdomen. Sharp talon like nails grew from its five finger hands. Draping down its shoulders were long tentacles that were thick and jet black. A thin metal mesh covered most of its well muscled body. Around its waist hung a belt of metal and bone. A thick piece of hide cover what would have been its private area. Heavy looking pieces of dark silver armor sat over its shoulders and chest. A pair of gauntlets wrapped around its wrist and forearms. A mask… that mask… she remembered it the most.

Angel had to turn away for a moment.

The mask it wore was something that had burned itself deep in her nightmares. Unblinking with a cold, dead stare. It didn't just stare at, but through. It saw things when they tried to remain hidden. Nothing could hide from that stare.

"Sorry… sorry…," she apologized to the tall creature, "It's been so long since I've had to stare into those dark cold eyes. Still sends a shiver up my spine," she shook her body, "I'm fine though. I can do this. I can face nightmares made into flesh. Yes. You have to forgive me for not making a better stand," she bowed in apology, "I'm better now though. Promise. It's kind of like when you jump into a pond. You know it's going to be cold, but you do it anyway. Once you're in all you want to do is jump out. I've got to fight that urge right now. It won't stay cold. Just have to get use to it. You understand?" she looked for some sort of indication that the creature understood her.

It only cocked its head.

"Not much one for talking. I respect that. I'm not much of a talker either, but after being locked up for so long and not a friendly face… well… there I go again," she apologized once more, "You, like I, came for a fight… duel… honorable combat. Not to talk. What do you say to getting this over and done with? Not that I want to hurry this fight along," she admitted, "It's just been so long since I've had a good tussle. Been fighting and suppressing that inside for nearly…," she had to think for a moment, "... four years… almost four years… three years… two hundred thirty-five days… yes…," she nodded her head, "but who's counting? It's been a while… a creature like me doesn't understand peaceful times… that's nothing but a fantasy. No. This is what I live for. A good fight. Little bit of blood. Most likely it will be mine in this particular bout. I've seen what your kind does. True hunters. A… predator… alpha of course," she didn't want to insult the creature, but it didn't seem to care or understand, "Again you'll have to forgive me for talking so much. I'm just bringing up all that fear I experienced as a child. It will really wake up my survival instincts… so I can at least last long enough to put up a good fight. I don't want to disappoint… I imagine you don't hear that very often, do you?"

It shook its head no.

"I thought so," she shrugged her shoulders, "I've never been one to disappoint. I don't like doing that. That was beating into me as I grew from a scared little child that had everything and everyone taken from her… you… no… no," she corrected herself, "Something like you… your kind… did that to me. I know that I've said it already," she smirked, "But I'm sorry," she pulled her knife from its sheath, "I'm going to take about eighty-seven years worth of anger out on you. Slash you for every year that I've been waiting to meet your kind again. Stab you for every person that I knew and lost. Its nothing personal… just convenience... and a bit of insanity… I've lost quite a bit of my mind over the years. I hope you understand."

The creature said not a word or uttered a sound. It only flicked its wrist. This seem to release a pair of blades that looked about seven to eight inches long. They were serrated and obviously meant to cut and gore the intended target.

"At least this will be a test of blades," she was pleased that it would be a close fight.

She wanted to face her fear, not shoot it from a distance and only see it through a scope. That would still be hiding. She didn't want to hide anymore. She had done that since she took refuge in the shadows. She wanted to invoke fear before she faced hers. This is what she had trained for, whether she knew it or not.

"Hold on please. Just a moment," she asked for a quick pause.

Taking her sniper rifle from her back, she carefully hung it from a sturdy branch.

"Sorry," she bowed, "It is my heart and after having been without for such a long time, I rather not see damaged. I only ask that if you do defeat me, that you would leave it where it hang. It deserves some dignity after a long term of service. That is all I ask," she bowed once more.

The creature looked from her to the gun and back to her. It reached behind it and brought out a strange cylinder with a sharp spike on one end and a thin blade on the other. It made sure to show it to her and carefully set it down on a flat rock. She understood.

"We shall not defile each other's hearts," she agreed, "Now… it is time for us to begin.

It was strange, but they each bowed in respect. The beast from her nightmares was at least honorable.

They straightened up and took their respective poses.

She took a more defensive, while it was instantly aggressive.

Digging it's claw like nails into the ground, it charged towards her. She held her ground. To move to soon would show her hand. To move to late and the beast would be upon her. She only had to wait for the right moment.

It was always about timing…

It was only a few yards away. She would have to move soon. Tightening all her muscles, she prepared for her first move. The creature swung its massive arm with the twin blades; thinking it would decapitate her. It only swiped at air. She let her body go loose and fell to her knees. Quickly stabbing the beast in the leg four times, she rolled forward and twisted around to face it. Bright green dripped from her blade and its leg. It was almost florescent in the dim light. She remembered that from her childhood. The creature looked down at its bleeding leg and began to growl lowly at her.

"The first to draw blood…," she snorted, "Is that all you have?"

The low growling stopped. Fast and furious clicking filled the air. Maybe it was cussing? Whether it was at her or at itself, she could only guess. Probably both. It wiped the flowing blood from its leg and flung its fingers. It once again took an aggressive pose, ignoring the pain in its leg. Of course, it probably didn't even feel the stab wounds. She, herself, was refusing to feel the pain in her leg. Why wouldn't it? It could take a lot.

She remembered that.

It was still aggressive in stance, but it wasn't in such a rush to attack. It had learned that she would very full fill her promise to stab and slash. She was playing it cautiously too. She managed to hit it once. A second time would be a miracle. Killing it would an act of whatever deity existed. She did that once.

She wasn't sure any deity or devil would interfere this time.

They circled each other; waiting to see who would be the first to strike. They looked for twitches and tells that would give away their strategy. They each held their own and guarded their thoughts carefully. It was tiring.

Angel signed, "We both obviously know that we will not give away our secrets… easily. So…," she flipped her knife once, "Let's just show our hands," she charged.

The creature took a defensive stance in preparation for her attack. It was strange to her that it would take such a position. Surely she hadn't proven herself that much of a threat. She had only stab it. It wasn't like she had cut off a limb or made a decent wound. It was hiding something.

She continued her charge, hoping that she would see whatever it was planning sooner rather than later. It still didn't move. It wouldn't give any indication if she should attack high or low. It would remain on guard. She would have to decide for herself and take a chance. Her logic and well trained mind told her to attack at the arms. Disable those so it couldn't attack with its main weapons. Her instincts told her to continue attacking the wounded leg. Wear it down until it can't move and then give the final blow.

So many choices. So little time.

She had to choose.

The arms…

Slipping her fingers into the little pouch on her belt, she pulled out several of her throwing needles. She would hold on to the poison for now. She wasn't even sure if the vile liquid would even affect the creature. Not much seemed to stop them. Quickly she swerved off to the left and sent three needles through the air. They were only shimmering glints of metal as they made their way to their target. The creature easily swatted them aside. Just as she wanted. This left tender flesh exposed. Throwing the remaining needles, she hoped that the creature wouldn't notice this set of thin metal projectiles.

It didn't.

Four needles struck deep into its armpit. It quickly pulled the needles from its body, but it didn't see her coming. Aiming for where the armor on its arm ended and yellowish skin began. She stuck her knife deep into the arm and twisted it as many times as she could. She had to tear as many muscle fibers as she could in the quick attack. The creature screamed out and grabbed her by the nape of her neck. Throwing her to the far side of the cleared area, the creature roared in pain. She tumbled and rolled across the jungle floor. Digging her nails into the soft falling foliage and soil, she righted herself and quickly got to her feet. The creature had already started its charge. It was going on the offensive. She would have to defend.

It swung its massive arm so it's blades might cut her in half. She quickly launched herself between it's legs and threw several needles at it's spine. Most of them stuck, but some didn't. The creature just shook itself and the needles fell to the ground. She could use them later if she happened upon the spot. It wasn't done though. It charged once more with it's blade ready to taste blood. Her blood.

It couldn't be that stupid. It wouldn't charge again like that unless it knew it could block her this time. She didn't have much choice though. The trees were thick where she landed and this was very little ground for her to maneuver. She needed to give herself more ground and it was gaining more ground the longer she waited.

She needed to move quickly and now.

It brought it's arm up once more with its blades ready for the attack. She knew that she couldn't go through it's legs again. It would be ready for that; even though it was charging the same way. She noticed that to the right that the treeline was thin and a large rock she could jump from if the beast managed to turn quickly. She pushed off into her own charge, but stayed low to the ground so she could slash at its legs she needed to. She saw it bring down its blades once more and she prepared to swerve to the right. It anticipated her movement. It quickly kicked her in the abdomen, but she was able to tighten herself into a ball. She flew across the clearing and towards a line of rocks.

Crunch… crack…

She could hear every vertebra in her spine smash and split as she hit the stones. There was no time assess her injuries. The creature was already on top of her. She rolled left and right as it struck with its blades repeatedly. Dirt and foliage flew through the air as it tried to impale her. She just tucked and rolled until she was able to push away. She was instantly on her feet ready for another barrage of blades.

She was right.

The creature charged once more, but seemed to be moving faster than it did before. Or maybe… she was seeing things slower. It was hard to react. The pain in her back was throbbing and running up and down her spine. Her stomach felt like it was in her chest and had exploded. It had made a good blow. She knew that she had to keep moving. To stop gave it a chance to strike a more fatal blow. She spit out a mouth full of blood and prepared to defend. There was no way she could face its raw strength.

This thing… its kind could rip a grown man in half.

She had to keep moving. She pushed down the pain she was feeling and replaced it with the fear and anger she had been holding inside for so many long years. Her anger would have to overwhelm her pain for now. It helped. The creature's speed slowed down to a pace that she could process. It stuck and stuck trying to slice her in two, but she weaved back and forth just out of its reach. It went for a hard strike, but only dug its blades into ground. She had rolled to the other side of the clearing and struck a defensive posture.

The creature just stayed where it was. Maybe it was contemplating on what it should do next. Maybe it was taking a moment to gather itself. Maybe it catching its breath. She was. It had been a long time since she had been in a fight like this. A fight for survival. A fight for her life. It had been a long time since she had felt the dread of knowing that she could lose her life.

It was… delightful...

"You know," she rolled her head back and forth, "I must say, you have provided me a challenge. So few times in my adult life that I have feared for my life… or felt this much pain," she stretched out her back, "I'm going to be feeling that tomorrow… if I live," she laughed as she realigned a few vertebra, "This is the way a warrior should go out. In a duel. A fight to end where only death knows the victory. Wouldn't you say?" she looked to the creature.

It seemed to understand her and nodded its head. It pulled the blades from the ground and like her, stretched and checked over itself. There were small cuts and gouges that dotted its flesh. Little streams of its blood flowed from the wounds, but it didn't seem to bother the creature. She looked over herself. She was cut, bruised and bleeding, but nothing to concern about. She would live. She was sure that some of her ribs were broken or at least bruised. Spitting out another mouthful of blood, she knew that she was in worse shape that the creature the stood across from her.

She was going to have to get even.

"Come on," she smiled, "Let's finish this!" she pushed off for a hard charge.

It followed her with its own charge. They met in the middle of the clearing. Their blades sparked as they met. The beast easily pushed her back, but she wouldn't be overpowered. Drawing out her needles, it was time to use them at their full potential. Striking them quickly into the vial of poison, she stabbed several needles into the creature's forearm. But she wouldn't stop there. She needed to cause more damage and bring it down to her level. It was risky, but she would have to try for the legs again. She had made it through once and had a swift kick the second time, but a third time she had to disable it. It was all about the timing.

She ducked, weaved and whirled about as the creature's blades whizzed by. Her body was growing stiffer and stiffer with every movement, but it seemed unaffected by its injuries. She would have to make her move sooner than she wanted. She never liked to rush.

It made things… sloppy…

Oh well, she thought quietly to herself, I'll just for the back of the knee…

With a duck and a spin, she was behind it. It tried to kick back, but its massive foot missed it. She quickly dug her blade deep into the space between the patella and joint. The tendons and ligaments had to be cut. It wouldn't be able to move. She would have the speed advantage then. All she needed was an advantage.

The towering beast roared in pain as she twisted her knife. It once again grabbed her by the neck, but this time it wouldn't let go. It wrapped its clawed fingers around her throat. She could feel the air leaving her lungs, but not coming in. She stared into the dark cold eyes of the mask it wore. There was not a hint of fire or satisfaction. Just a blank stare.

She needed to see the warrior within to die with peace.

"Show me!" she managed to hiss, "Show me your eyes! I want to see the fire within you! I don't want to die with that blank stare as my last sight. Show me!" she dared it, "Show me the face of my death!"

It understood her request. Her need to see the face of the one that was about to deliver death. Retracting the blades on on its wrist, it reached for the mask that hide its face. The sound of escaping air was heard as the mask was pulled away.

It was the first time she got to see the beast of death's face. She didn't know what to expect, but the face underneath was nothing like she could imagine. Mandibles with sharp canine like projections. Rows of jagged teeth fit for any alpha predator. Thick black bristols running the along the edges where its tentacles started. It head was tall and maybe a little bulbous by her standards. How sunken in its eyes were… but its eyes… so deep and dark… but there… there was a spark… a fire… a soul…

She just stared deeply into its eyes.

How human they seemed… more human than most she had stared into. It was almost comforting that the last thing she would see where its eyes. Those dark and strangely beautiful human like eyes.

She released her final breath, "Thank you," she closed her eyes and waited for the cold metal blades to penetrate her body.

Instead of blades in her abdomen, she felt the tip of a nail carefully lift the neck of her shirt to the side. The grip around her neck loosened, but only just enough for air to re-enter her lungs. She opened her eyes to find the creature staring at the scar just above her left breast. It started to trace and retrace again and again. It seemed deep in thought as it traced its nail along the strange symbol. She wanted to yell at it to finish her, but the curiosity in its eyes caused her to pause.

Movement…, she saw something out of the corner of her eye.

She tried to get out the words, but they just weren't fast enough.

A large dark figure slammed into the beast. They all fell to the ground with a thud. She quickly rolled away and tried to get up, but the air was still making its way through her body. She looked up to see that the nightmarish creature of her past was struggling with the nightmarish creature of her present.

It was… surreal…

It wasn't even like she was in her body. She was just observing a battle between two creatures that wanted to live more than they other. Was this like the battle she had just had? Had it been watching the whole time just lying in wait for the perfect moment to strike? Or maybe it wanted to show them how a real fight for survival was fought. It was hard to say.

She finally felt like her body could move. Her legs, though reluctant, pushed her up off the ground and held steady under her weight. That was about the extent of what she could do… other than watch the fight that was unfolding. The black terror that had stalked and killed the soldiers was holding down the creature that had just tried to kill her. It stabbed repeatedly with its dagger like tail at the other's head, but couldn't make contact. The armored creature tried to free its arms, but the black one would not let up. It was finally able to free its leg and tried to kick it off, but it seemed to lack the power to.

It was the one that she had attacked so precisely. Her blade was still sticking out; inhibiting the leg's full range of movement. The dome headed beast barred it metallic like teeth with a growl. Opening its mouth, it showed the secret inside. Another set of jaws lashed out at the other's head, but it was able to push the beast's body up just enough to be out of range.

A stalemate…, she stared on, until one grows tire and gives into death…

She had nearly been there.

Looking over at her sniper rifle, she knew that she couldn't make it over there. The fight for survival was too close and she would be swept up into it before she was ready. There was only one choice.

She looked back the creature's weapon.

"I will not defile it… I will honor it as its master has honored me," she took unsteady steps towards the unknown weapon.


	7. Fight for Survival

It's been awhile and I apologize. I've been rather busy. Finally, I was able to finish this chapter, so I thank you for your patience. I would like to throw out some thank yous before I let you lose to read. My thanks go out to Shadow the Ranger and Asilan Renve for the lovely words. Thank you also goes out to all those that have taken their time to read this story. Thank you and enjoy!

 **Chapter Seven**

 **Fight for Survival**

There was a pause.

She wasn't sure if she could take it. It wasn't her right to. She promised the creature that she wouldn't defile it. It promised in return. A promise between warriors. She would hold true to her promise. That was all she had left of her honor.

She couldn't take it.

"Oh…," she remembered, "I do have other things I can use," she looked down at the needles that the creature had either deflected or pulled out, "I said I would use them later," she peered over to where they lay.

Looking over at the struggling monsters, she could see that not much had changed. The black one still had the other pinned, but it had finally feared one of its arms. It had grabbed the the dome headed beast by the tail to stop it from stabbing at it, but the beast was still trying to nip with its secondary mouth. She really shouldn't have cared. That creature pinned to the ground had tried to kill her. Its kind had killed everything that meant something to her. It even killed her in a sense…

She shook her head hard… She didn't feel like going that deep…

Questions began to fill her mind. Was it her concern to help a creature the symbolized the end of her childhood and the beginning of her living nightmare? Should she really taking out her pent up aggression out on a being that had nothing to do with her past? Should she just watch to see who the victor was? Should she just walk away?

If she walked away… what would become of her honor?

"It is… the only thing I have left… or at least try to hold on to…," she once more looked to the needles that lay on the ground, "I suppose that when battling death," she pulled out what remained of the needles in her pouch, "That it doesn't matter what forms it takes," she readied to throw them, "As long as you face it and know that Death will always win in the end," she released them, "... but not this day…"

The needles flew through the air and struck the black beast in the side of its domed head. Yellowish fluid began to drip and ooze from the small puncture wounds. Where strange liquid fell the ground it began to sizzle and bubble. The leaves and ground didn't absorb this fluid; they burned and melted underneath it. She looked up to see the needles were melting away like the earth. What was left of them fell to the ground and continued to melt into a puddle of liquid metal.

The black beast turned its eyeless face towards her and growled.

"Don't you growl at me," she chided the beast, "You were the one that interrupted our duel. That's very rude you know. You only had to wait a moment longer..."

It didn't seem to care as it continued to growl.

It pounced like a hungry jackal on a bone with a bit of meat. She quickly rolled out of the way, but it relentlessly pursued her. It slashed and stabbed. It chomped and bit. It just wouldn't stop. All she could do was duck, dodge, and roll out of the way. She knew that she could only do that for so long though. Her body still ached from her previous bout, but she couldn't stop moving.

From one form of death to another… she just couldn't seem to escape it…

… not that she minded…

She was able to roll far enough from the black beast for a moment to breath. It seemed to want a moment too. It cocked its head, growled and snapped its jaws at her as if it was cursing at her. She would have cursed at it, but she wasn't trained like that… to curse at a frustrating person or thing.

That was just uncouth and unprofessional.

The black beast crouched down on all fours and prepared for another pounce. It was interrupted, though. A loud roaring filled the air that rang deep in her ears. She quickly covered them to stop the ringing that was beginning in her head. It didn't help much. She looked over to see the armored creature roaring at the beast that just had it pinned down. Its honor and most likely its ego had been bruised.

Looking from the roaring creature to her and back to the creature, the black beast didn't seem too impressed with the loud noise. Of course, she wasn't sure if it could hear. It didn't seem to have visible ears. Not that it mattered. The dome-headed beast was far more interested in her than the other. She looked over to the creature that had tried so hard to kill her. It was clicking its mandibles quickly and hissed loudly in displeasure.

It was obvious that it wanted to fight the black beast.

Still the black beast wanted no part of it. It only concentrated on her and started to prepare once more for a pounce. The armored wouldn't take this insult. It charged towards the dome-headed monster. It was prepared for it though. Faster than the mind could register, the black beast had wrapped its bony like tail around the waist of the charging creature and threw it across the way. It tumbled and skidded until it landed in a large stone. Without missing a beat, the dome headed beast leap upon her. She rolled and ducked just as the beast dug its blade-like claws deep into the ground. Instead of pushing away as she had, she rolled underneath and embedded several needles into its belly. She barely got out of the way acid-like fluid began to burn through the needles and dripped onto the ground. The creature howled and growled in pain as it tried to slash at her with its whip-like tail. She was a bit too quick for it though.

She was rather surprised that she was able to move as quickly as she was.

Her leg was on fire from the burns. Her back felt like it would crumble at any moment… though, it probably had already. The tissue and muscles inside her abdomen felt like they would snap and spew out of her if given the slightest tap. How could she possibly still be moving so swiftly was a mystery to her. For so long she wished her body would just give up and give into the emptiness that was consuming her on the inside. Now… now she wanted nothing more than to live.

Before, at the mercy of the armored nightmare, she had accepted that death had come for her finally. It would have been a good death. A proper ending to her hellish life.

Starting with a nightmare… Ending with the same nightmare…

"Yes.. it would have been fitting…," she sighed as she dodged another attack.

That's all she wanted… a fitting ending to her existence.

This black, dome-headed beast was interfering with that. It had taken her one chance at a peaceful death. Her battle with her childhood nightmare was an honorable one. It had earned its right to kill her… but… it paused… why did it pause?

"I suppose I'll have to ask if I survive this encounter," she jumped out of the way another charging attack.

The black beast seemed to be growing more and more enraged by its inability to take her down. Its movements were losing their refinement and thought and were starting to resemble that of an animal in a blind rage. It was certainly growing angry with her.

She was growing annoyed.

"... just know…," she called out to the armored creature, "that what I'm about to do is done with the utmost respect and I hope that I do this well…"

The creature had been standing since her battle with the dome head creature started. It had been watching carefully. Observing every move and analyzing the battle entirely. Maybe it was waiting to see whom the victor would be. She could tell that it really wanted to jump in though. It was pacing back and forth. Its muscles were twitching with anticipation. The moment one of them fell, it would most likely swoop in to continue the fight.

She admired its restraint considering how badly it wanted to battle the dome-headed beast.

She was going to have move quickly and without a single mistake. One wrong misstep or miscalculation and the creature would have her in its grasp. The black beast had started it charge and luckily it was just at the angle she needed. Her first few steps would determine if she would be able to hold onto her life.

Left… right… left… JUMP!

She leapt into the air. The creature took notice to her flight. Whipping its long bone like tail through the air, it took aim to pierce her chest. Twisting her body, she sailed past the striking tail. It felt like she was floating through the air. Everything moved so slowly. She could see every detail of the scene that surrounded her. The feathering of colors in the leaves and ferns. The way the light trickled down through the heavy canopy. The light bouncing out the scarred armor of the patiently waiting creature. The way the already dim light seemed to be just absorbed by the black beast below her. The highlights of the beast's hide that threw off its only light. The metal sheen of its teeth… so many things about the beast was so… beautiful. It looked so artificial… hand crafted… carefully designed to be so deadly… everything about the beast spoke of its prowess as a hunter and killer… it was so… beautiful to her… Soon the ground would be there to interrupt her lovely world of nearly frozen bliss.

She loved how the world would slow down.

It gave her time to appreciate the what was around her.

Total euphoria…

The ground soon caught her well planned fall. The world returned to its usual pace. Fast and deadly. She would hold onto slow moments as long as she could… she may not live after this bold maneuver. She landed just an inch from the armored creature's strange cylindrical weapon. She only prayed that it understood why she was about to do what she had to do. It was almost like it flowed into her. She didn't feel herself each out for it. There it was in her hands… it filled her palm completely… it was cold… but somehow it seemed warm… it felt right…

She wasn't sure what to do with it, but she knew that it would not let her die… she could feel its thirst for blood…

The black beast was nearly upon her. It was able to turn on itself and charge at her with all its might towards her. She closed her eyes and listened.

Eyes lied… they never spoke the truth the mind… every few senses told the truth… but at least her ears would speak the truest.

It was on her… she could hear its claws digging into the ground one final time just before it leapt into the air. She swore that she could hear the air sliding over its smooth head down its bony body. She could feel the air being sliced and it was so close.

It was time to act… time to see if she could outwit death in the form of a black beast.

She felt across the cylindrical weapon. Something gave to the pressure of her fingers. She pushed it as she leaped at the approaching creature. The cylindrical weapon popped open… of sorts. It shot forth and telescoped out into a long spear. The triangle blade sliced through the creature's surprising delicate neck. It was like cutting through nothing. Even the air seemed to harder to cut through than its neck.

They stood there for a moment; staring at each other… sort of. They dared not move, but someone was going to have to. It chose. Shooting out its secondary jaw, it took aim at its head. It didn't even come close. The force of the jaw caused it head to fall forward and ended just an inch from her feet. The headless body fell limp to the ground. Its acid blood leaked from its wound. It pumped out, but just seemed to passively flow from the neck. Not what like happens to a human their head is removed.

She had seen that before.

It was strange, but she instantly whirled around the spear to remove any excess fluid from the blade. Running her finger along the body of the weapon, she found the point that gave and pressed it. The spear retracted back into its cylindrical form. She held onto for a moment. She swore that she could feel the beating of another's heart in her hand.

Was this truly the heart of the armored creature?

She realized that creature was staring at her with it black soulful eyes. Looking down the weapon and then to it, she knew that she had possibly done wrong. Walking up to it, only keep a foot away, she bowed to it and held out it weapon.

"I'm sorry for borrowing your heart," she apologized as she kept her head low, "I hope that I used it well and gave it the respect it deserved… You… you have every right to take my life. It is yours to hold. If the beast hadn't interrupted us, you would have taken it fairly. It is still yours to take. Do as your honor demands."

She could feel the creature's eyes upon her. Staring at her. Staring through her. In peaceful thought of what it should do. Finally the weight of the weapon what lifted from her hand. She wanted to look up, but she knew it was better to wait and see what the creature would do. She watched as it stepped away from her and toward the lifeless body of the black beast. Straightening up, she carefully watched as the creature bent down and touched and poked and prodded the dead beast. It seemed to be amazed that it fell before her. Looked up at her, then back at the body and then to the head, it stood up and approached her.

It bowed its head in respect to her. She was unsure how she should react. There seemed to be no intent to kill her now. Something had changed… when it looked… when it saw…

She quickly rubbed the old, scarred over wound.

It noticed her moment and tried to reach out to the scarred piece of flesh. She quickly slapped its hand away. Very few were allowed to touch her. It would have to be with her permission or if she allowed it to happen. A low purring sound seemed to originate from its throat.

"I assume that our business is concluded then," she wanted to break the silence that had descended upon them.

It looked to the head of the beast and then crouched down next to it. It pointed to her and then to the head. She understood.

"I'm sorry," she sighed, "I don't take trophies. I don't have need of them. My memories haunt me enough while my eyes are open and closed. Sorry if that insults you or your ways," she noticed that it seemed displeased with her rejection of the head, "If you are not interested in take my life… I still consider it your's… Then I must move on. I… I know that there are more of these creatures in the jungle," she looked around, "I need to find higher ground and plan… for something…," she was unsure of… many things, "I bid you farewell," she gave another bow.

She headed for her rifle and took it carefully from its spot. She only glanced at the creature that was still crouched down next to the beast. She wanted to see if it would do anything as she left. It didn't move or seem to want to inhibit her exit. It let her go as she pleased. Either at respect or it was just giving her life back.

Either way, she was thankful.

Either way, she was confused.

Either way, she had escaped from death once more.


End file.
